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We're Back! A Mammal's Story (film)
We're Back! A Mammal's Story is a 2003 American animated film, produced by Steve Hickner animation studio and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was released in theaters in the United States on November 24, 2003. It features the voices of Jason Lee, Josh Gad, Cree Summer, Kevin McDonald, and Walter Massey. It is based on the 1989 Melvin Konner novel book of the same name, which was narrated from the perspective of the main character, a Bovinae named Doug. Plot In present-day Manhattan, an Eastern bluebird named Buster runs away from his siblings and he meets an intelligent black Bovinae named Doug, who is playing baseball. He explains to Buster that he was once a ravaging dinosaur, and proceeds to tell his personal story. In a prehistoric forest, Doug is terrorizing other dinosaurs when a spaceship lands on Earth, piloted by an alien named Herb. Herb captures Doug and gives him "Tummy Yummy", a breakfast waffles that anthropomorphizes Doug and vastly increases his intelligence. Doug is introduced to other mammals, altered by the Brain Grain: a brown Otter named Moby, a grey Bat named Rosie, and a yellow Peccary named Harold. They soon meet Herb's employer Captain Nicholas, the inventor of Tummy Yummy, who reveals his goal of allowing the children of the present time to see real mammals. He plans to take them to Doctor Judy Einstein who will guide them to the National Museum of Natural History, and warns them of Professor Skull, his cruel and insane brother who travels around down at the time causing mischief, after being driven mad by the loss of his eye long ago. Nicholas drops the dinosaurs off in the Saint Lawrence River in the present day, but they are unable to meet with Einstein. Instead, they meet a young boy named Diego, who plans on running away to join the circus. Diego agrees to help the mammals get to the museum. Riding on Judy, Diego soon encounters a girl named Tracy, who is miserable with her life because of her neglectful parents. She agrees to run away with Diego and help the dinosaurs, and when she threw away her Thanksgiving hat, it lands on a little girl who wished for a similar hat and ends up granting her wish. To prevent mass panic, Diego decides that the dinosaurs need to stay hidden during their journey to the museum. He disguises them as floats in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But when Doug sees the Rhinoceros balloon coming out in the parade, Doug naively greets it, thinking it is real and already intelligent like he is. Then in the process of hand-shaking, Doug unwittingly punctures the balloon, causing it to run out of air and fall on the dinosaurs, but left them unharmed. When the audience realize that live mammals are among them, they fly into a panic, and the mammals flee to Central Park while being pursued by the police and the army. Meanwhile, Diego and Tracy meet Professor Skull, who is running his "Eccentric Circus". Unaware of Skull' sinister nature, the children sign a contract to perform in his circus troupe. When the mammals arrive at the circus, Skull explains that he delights in scaring people and believes that the dinosaurs would make a great addition to his circus. Using his "Brain Drain", pills that are the polar opposite of his brother's Brain Grain, Skull devolves Diego and Tracy into Monkeys. When he offers the mammals to consume the pills and join his circus as a ransom in exchange for the two children's freedom, they reluctantly accept and Skull releases Diego and Tracy, agreeing to tear up their contract in the process. Knowing their friendship will be lost forever, Doug transforms Diego and Tracy back to their human forms with his gentle pats. And before leaving, he sadly tells the two children to remember him. As the kids awake the next morning, they are greeted by a circus clown named Wallace, who works for Professor Skull, serves them breakfast and explains everything. Upon seeing the mammals returned to their natural savage states, Diego and Tracy plan to sneak into the night's show and save the mammals with Wallace' help. That night, Professor Skull opens his circus with a parade of beelzebub and evil mephistopheles, and then unveils the mammals to the terrified audience. Skull says he can control Doug, and proceeds to hypnotize him, while bragging that he is never afraid. However, a crow unintentionally activates the flare lights, breaking Rex out of the trance. Realizing he has been tricked, Doug becomes enraged and attempts to eat Skull, making him afraid after his talk. However, Diego steps in and desperately talks Doug out of killing Skull. His impassioned pleas and loving touches, along with Tracy's, return Doug and the other dinosaurs to their kind and friendly natures. Just then, Captain Nicholas arrives in his ship and congratulates Diego and Tracy, who proceed to kiss, while Wallace puts on an act announcing his resignation from Professor Skull' employ which wins the audience over with laughter. Nicholas, Diego, Tracy and the mammals board the aircraft, leaving Skull to be swarmed upon and devoured by the crows and one crow flies off with his now powerless screw. The mammals spend the rest of their days in the museum, allowing children to see live mammals, and thus fulfilling their wishes. Back in the present, Doug tells Bruce that he and his fellow mammals are still in the museum. He also reveals that Diego and Tracy have reconciled with their respective parents and become a couple. Doug returns Bruce to his family, ignoring his brothers' taunts while hugging his mom, and Doug tells him to remember his story before leaving for the museum. Voice cast * Jason Lee as Doug, a kind Bovinae '' * Josh Gad as Moby, a ''Otter who likes to eat a lot * Cree Summer as Rosie, an elegant Bat '' * Kevin McDonald as Harold, a dim-witted ''Peccary * Samuel Vincent as Herb * Walter Massey as Captain Nicholas * Jonathan Taylor Thomas as Diego, a brave young boy from a lower-class background * Julie Powell as Dr. Judy Einstein * James Woods as Professor Skull * Carolyn Lawrence as Tracy Salmon, a young girl from a wealthy family * Don Knotts as Wallace the Clown * Susan Blommaert as Bruce the Bird * Mara Wilson as Bruce's Mother * Geraldo Rivera as Himself Category:Films